


a life earned

by TheQueenInTheNorth



Series: earned [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-06 22:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13420512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQueenInTheNorth/pseuds/TheQueenInTheNorth





	1. Chapter 1

She had not expected a warm welcome by any means. Afterall, she brought Garron the bodies of both his sons. Still, she thought the soldiers downright storming her ship the moment it landed was a little much. She stood there, silver orbs circuiting lazily, giving them merely a look not unlike that an exasperated mother might give her unruly child. She had not planned to arrive with more bloodspill, but if they made things difficult, she was not above it.

Krenyk raised a hand to stop them in their tracks, taking another few steps towards Sinara himself, eyes flicking to the two cryo units she had brought with her."What happened?"

"I'll only speak with Garron,"she told the military adviser. She was not about to disclose her story here, infront of a dozen nobodies.

He nodded curtly, apparrently deciding the matter was important enough to bring it to Garron right away. "Fetch a medic,"he ordered one of the soliders with another glances towards the cryo units.

"No need for that,"Sinara said."There was such chaos. By the time I managed to recover their bodies, it was too late for any attempt at resuscitation." She should know. She had waited, carefully watching the minutes tick by until there was nothing anyone could do."They're merely coffins at this point."

Her fingers trailed across the glass of one of the units as she walked towards Krenyk, unspoken prompt to finally bring her to Garron. She did her best not to look down as she passed. Kasius looked almost peaceful, almost asleep.

Faulnak, on the other hand... She bit back a smirk at the thought. As she would later tell Garron, Maston-Dar had clearly had no qualms about desecrating his body after he had betrayed him.

* * *

Garron looked at her coldly as she finished her report."And what is it you want of me?"

"I've not asked for anything,"she said."I have brought you back what remains of your sons. I have brought the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Destroyer of Worlds. And I gathered enough information from Maston before he died to be almost certain it was the Lady Basha who conspired against us. I bring you a great many things without asking for anything."

"Yet,"replied Garron. He was growing impatient, she could tell. She'd have to stop toying with him. But he was so like Faulnak it was hard not to enjoy his annoyance."Just spit it out, girl."

"I can't help but notice that you are in need of an heir now." The look on his face was almost reward enough for the whole thing. As if she were stupid enough to ever even consider for a second that he might name some lowborn soldier as his heir. She brought a hand to the slight swell of her stomach. It had taken her long enough to track down the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and then get here that she was by now sure of the life growing inside her."Your line is not quite extinct. I ask nothing for myself. Only what is owed to the child."

 "That is the heir you offer me?" He was stalling for time. She could practically see the furious workings of his mind, the evaluation of the current political situation."Kasius' bastard get?"

There was always scheming in the Kree court. Finding himself a useful wife would be much harder than finding a betrothed for Faulnak had been, they both knew it. His wives had an unfortunate habit of dying. And he was slowly losing control of some of the factions. Any choice in wife would be seen by one of them as a slight. And she was lowborn, with no wealth or influence. No one contending with him over just how to mold the child into the heir he wanted.

"Who said anything about a bastard?"she said, feigned confusion on her face as she pulled down her high collar enough to reveal the purple and gold imprint of Kasius's teeth. The colours were not quite as bright as they ought to be but she had had to make do with what she had found in the time she had. She hadn't even thought of it, at first; she had just happened to catch sight of the bitemark, right where it should be, practically telling her to make use of it. Not that Garron was in any position to judge anyone's union mark, with three of them on his own throat.

 Garron raised an eyebrow."Well, I suppose he had to keep himself entertained on that abysmal rock somehow, but that is taking things too far."

"My get and I,"she said, voice dripping with venom,"can disappear again, if you'd rather. I'll just take the coin Faulnak offered for the Destroyer, then."

She was not bluffing, and they both knew it. With that money, she'd be happily set for life. The thought of one day ruling through her child was appealing, of course, but not the only appealing course of action. Garron had more need of her and the babe than they of him.

"Very well." He strode to the door and threw it open, gesturing for her to follow him across the room. She sauntered over as Krenyk gave first Garron, than Sinara a questioning look.

Garron's face was emotionless as he spoke."Krenyk, prepare quarters for my daugher-in-law."

 


	2. Chapter 2

The chambers she had been taken to that day were fit for a princess. Which, she quickly realised, she had made herself. She had only thought of the convenience of making herself Kasius' widow rather than just the mother of his bastard for political sway, both for her and the child. She had not stopped to think about the title that came with it, or what in turn came with the title.

With one small lie she had made herself royalty. In name, anyway. Garron seemed insistent on making her royalty in every possible other aspect, aswell. He valued keeping up appearences. Which was how a few weeks after her arrival Sinara, once again, sat together with the other ladies of the court, doing her best to seem interested in the things they had to say.

It was strategically interesting, at least, who was promised to whom, who had disagreements about what matters, who would not be invited to the christening of Lord Canavan's son. But Sinara nontheless found it hard to keep up; reading between the lines of what was and wasn't said was more difficult than she had anticipated. Add to that that she was not allowed her usual training - Kasius' grandmother, Celyce, had been horrified at the mere suggestion - and the lack of physical excercise was making her quite restless... Well, there had been a reason she had always left these sorts of things to Kasius.

Things would be much simpler if he hadn't forced her hand by sending her into the death match with the Destroyer. She wouldn't be dealing with swollen ankles and constant moodswings, for one. As soon as she had thought it, she felt a pang of guilt, hand coming up to rub her belly in a silent apology. She really oughtn't think of the babe as a contingency plan. Even if that was admittedly how this pregnancy had happened in the first place, with her allowing for the possibility as a ways to ensure her welcome in Garron's court.

"Princess?"

She looked up to find Malla staring at her, as were the other women. Clearly she had asked her something. She wasn't even sure what the last subject they had been discussing was. She made herself smile. "My apologies, what were you saying? I'm afraid I'm a bit distracted." She brought her hand back to her stomach."The little one's quite energised today."

"Oh, how delightful!" Malla beamed, already reaching out before she had even finished asking,"May I?"

Sinara flinched away from her touch before she could stop herself. Now the others wore looks of confusion, maybe even consternation. Apparently she was expected to let just about anyone touch her belly if they so pleased.

"He got me in the kidney,"she offered as a ways of explanation; it had happened before and she couldn't say she had appreciated the tyke's choice of punchbag. A few of the women - the ones who had had children of their own, mostly - made sounds of sympathy at that, and the tense moment faded.

"He?"Celyce echoed. Sinara only now noticed her slip-up, colour rising in her cheeks at her own sentimentality."Oh. Well, I don't actually know yet. I just - I feel like he's a boy."

More cooing and delighted expressions all around. It seemed she'd finally stumbled onto the right track.

"I could tell with all my boys,"Celyce said with a degree of conviction Sinara found laughable. There was a fifty-fifty chance; it wasn't exactly impressive to guess correctly."A mother knows."

She reached out to gently stroke Sinara's stomach, and she managed to keep herself from moving away. She minded less when it was Celyce, especially now that her eyes were full of such emotion. She had Kasius' eyes. Well, logically he'd had hers, but to Sinara they were _his_. It was hard to look at them at times. At others, it was a strange sort of comfort.

"Wouldn't it be lovely?"Canavan's wife asked. She didn't look as delighted as many of the others; a daughter to possibly wed her son would have been preferred."A little boy to carry on the line."

Celyce nodded emphatically, tears pooling in her eyes at the reminder of her dead grandsons."I bet he will look just like his father."

"I'm sure he will,"Sinara said.

She excused herself not long after, citing exhaustion. While that was not true, she did curl up in bed as soon as she reached her quarters, closing her eyes to will back the stinging of tears. She would not start weeping over what had had to be done. Her hands curled over her belly protectively, finding some solace in the small movements beneath her palms.

She hoped he looked nothing like his father. Yet she hoped he looked everything like him.


End file.
